This week’s mystery movie was the 1942 MGM picture Tish, with Marjorie Main, Zasu Pitts, Aline MacMahon, Susan Peters, Lee Bowman, Guy Kibbee, Virginia Grey and Richard Quine.
Produced by Orville O. Dull.
Screenplay by Harry Ruskin. Adaptation by Annalee Whitmore Jacoby and Thomas Seller. Founded in part on stories by Mary Roberts Rinehart.
Photography by Paul Vogel.
Musical score by David Snell.
Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Eddie Imazu. Set decorations by Edwin B. Willis and Edward J. Boyle.
Gowns by Shoup.
Edited by Robert J. Kern.
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon.
More information on Tish is available from the AFI catalog.
Tish is available on DVD from Amazon.
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I wanted to do a movie that was in theaters on Thanksgiving 1942, so I picked Tish. It’s not a great movie, to be sure. Harrison’s Reports was correct in saying the movie is slow, talky and best suited to “family trade in the smaller houses.”
I’m guessing The New York Times skipped the movie or dispatched one of the alphabet soup critics to review it.
Uh-oh. Bosley himself saw it. He did not approve of such goings-on. (Sept. 18, 1942):
The inspiration (if such you can call it) for Loew’s State’s current Tish is a fictional character created by Mary Roberts Rinehart back about 1910. That gives you just a rough idea of the antiquity of this old dame, and it also approximates the spirit of this silly, inept Metro film. For Tish is a lot of stuff and nonsense about three daffy small-town spinsters who try to play cupid, in the first place, and then adopt a dubious orphaned child. Between the ridiculous overacting of Marjorie Main, Aline MacMahon and Zasu Pitts and the thoroughly implausible story which it took three writers to botch, it has about as much point and humor as a cheap radio soap opera.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Ruby Dandridge.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Al Shean.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery woman), Bob Hansen (Monday’s mystery woman), Jenny M. (Monday’s mystery woman), Sylvia E. (Monday’s mystery woman) and Megan and Thom (Monday’s mystery woman).
Sylvia: Right year, wrong movie.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mystery couple.
Update: This is Richard Quine and Susan Peters.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sheila (Monday’s mystery woman) and Beach Gal (Monday’s mystery woman).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have another mystery couple.
Update: This is Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery couple), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Jenny M. (Wednesday’s mystery couple), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery couple), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery couple).
For Friday, we have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Guy Kibbee.
We also have a trio of mystery ladies.
Update: This is, from left, Zasu Pitts, Marjorie Main and Aline MacMahon.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery couple), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery couple), Megan and Thom (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Thursday’s mystery couple), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery couple), Benito (Thursday’s mystery couple, but it’s another movie), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mystery fellow), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery couple), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery couple), B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery fellow), Heaven (Thursday’s mystery fellow), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast) and Greg (Thursday’s mystery couple and another vote for a different movie).
ladailymirror.com 
Ruby Dandridge.
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Ruby Dandridge in “Tish”
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Following!
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Monday’s mystery person might be Ruby Dandridge. I don’t know the movie.
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Ruby Dandridge
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Louise Beavers? I don’t know the film….
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Two votes for Louise Beavers…. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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I’m pretty sure Monday’s image is of Ruby Dandridge, Dorothy’s sister.
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Continuing with a Monday guess, just because Ruby has a serious expression on her face and I found a film that fits your “…got good reviews” qualification and found out it was Van Johnson’s entry into movie stardom:
Ruby Dandridge “The War Against Mrs Hadley” 1942.
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Louise Beavers?
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Our guest is Ruby Dandridge, but we’re not sure which movie.
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Tuesday, Mr. Al Shean
Why Mister Shean,
Why Mister Shean.
On the day they took away
Our old canteen,
Cost of living went so high
That it’s cheaper now to die.
Shean: Positively, Mister Gallagher.
Gallagher: Absolutely, Mister Shean.
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The Marx Brothers’ maternal uncle!
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Al Shean in Tish.
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THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT. Willa Pearl Curtis Monday and Charles Winninger today.
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Interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Awww… I almost went for “Tish” 1942! Talked myself out of it.
Mon – Ruby Dandridge
Tue – Al Shean (brother of Minnie Marx, uncle of the Marx Brothers.)
I’m really looking forward to Saturday’s breakdown. What a story! The images and cast present as comedy, but the tale sounds sad.
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TISH (1942)
Tuesday: Al Shean
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Juanita Moore
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Richard Quine, Susan Peters
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Lee Bowman, Virginia Grey.
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Guy Kibbee; Zasu Pitts, Marjorie Main, Aline MacMahon.
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Ruby Dandridge for Monday?
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Monday – Ruby Dandridge?
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Is Tues Harry Harvey possibly?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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TISH. Ruby Dandridge Monday, Al Shean Tuesday, and Richard Quine and Susan Peters today.
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Richard Quine and Susan Peters.
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On Wednesday, Richard Quine and Susan Peters
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Ruby Dandridge, Al Shean, Richard Quine and Susan Peters in TISH.
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I can’t say the actor, but it’s Arthur Lake’s bow tie.
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Lee Bowman for Thurs??
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Wed – Richard Quine and Susan Peters, a future real life couple.
Boy, that sense of melancholy about this film, though it’s a comedy and has a bittersweet ending, just crept into the real world. Read up on Ms Peters’ challenged life – truly tragic, though she didn’t want her life to be viewed in that light. Then read up on Mr Quine’s later directing career (Wow – so many familiar titles) and his demise.
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Wed -is Richard Ney and I think’ Dorothy Morris
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Is Tues Miles Mander?
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Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey.
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Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey
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Our movie is Tish with Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey for today, and Susan Peters on Wednesday.
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Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey, guess it’s WASHINGTON MELODRAMA 1941
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I recognize Lee Bowman, but that’s it.
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Thursday – Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey
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Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey.
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From bow tie to Bowman and I still don’t know the movie. And if I know by tomorrow, I’m not telling.
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Tish (1942) w/Ruby Dandridge, Al Shean, Lee Bowman, Virginia Grey, Marjorie Main, Zasu Pitts, Susan Peters, Richard Quine, Guy Kibbee, Aline MacMahon…
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Aha Thursday’s stars are Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey in 1941’s “Washington Melodrama”.
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The Kibbers! Guy Kibbee, Zasu Pitts, Marjorie Main, and Aline McMahon.
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Very unmysterious for Friday: Guy Kibbee, Zasu Pitts, Marjorie Main and Aline MacMahon
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Guy Kibbee, Zasu Pitts, Marjorie Main and Aline McMahon.
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Well tush! It’s Tish.
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I think I have everything correct this time.
Monday is Ruby Dandridge.
Tuesday is Al Shean.
Hm Wednesday is Susan Peters and Richard Quine.
Thursday is Lee Bowman and Virginia Grey.
Friday is Guy Kibbee. Zasu Pitts, Marjorie Main, and Aline MacMahon in the car.
The movie is “Tish” from 1942.
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Guy Tibbee, ZaSu Pitts, Marjorie Main and
Aline McMahon.
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I think Lee Bowman wore that same tie in just about every movie he made.
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ONly the wrong answers are up, I like to see all the answers.
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